vulval vestibule
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The vulval vestibule (also known as the vulvar vestibule or vestibule of vagina) is the part of the
vulva In mammals, the vulva (: vulvas or vulvae) comprises mostly external, visible structures of the female sex organ, genitalia leading into the interior of the female reproductive tract. For humans, it includes the mons pubis, labia majora, lab ...
between the labia minora. At the innermost part are the vaginal introitus and urinary meatus. The Bartholin's and Skene's glands each have two openings to the vestibule on the inside. The outer edge, marked by a coloration difference in the tissues, is called Hart's line, named after David Berry Hart. The vestibule represents the distal end of the
urogenital sinus The urogenital sinus is a body part of a human or other Placentalia, placental only present in the development of the urinary system, development of the urinary and development of the reproductive organs, reproductive organs. It is the ventral p ...
of the
embryo An embryo ( ) is the initial stage of development for a multicellular organism. In organisms that reproduce sexually, embryonic development is the part of the life cycle that begins just after fertilization of the female egg cell by the male sp ...
.''Manual of Obstetrics''. (3rd ed.). Elsevier. pp. 1–16. .


Structure

Structures opening in the vulval vestibule are the urethra ( urinary meatus),
vagina In mammals and other animals, the vagina (: vaginas or vaginae) is the elastic, muscular sex organ, reproductive organ of the female genital tract. In humans, it extends from the vulval vestibule to the cervix (neck of the uterus). The #Vag ...
, Bartholin's glands, and Skene's glands. The external urethral orifice is placed about 25–30 millimetres (1–1.2 in) behind the
clitoris In amniotes, the clitoris ( or ; : clitorises or clitorides) is a female sex organ. In humans, it is the vulva's most erogenous zone, erogenous area and generally the primary anatomical source of female Human sexuality, sexual pleasure. Th ...
and immediately in front of that of the vagina; it usually assumes the form of a short,
sagittal The sagittal plane (; also known as the longitudinal plane) is an anatomical plane that divides the body into right and left sections. It is perpendicular to the transverse plane, transverse and coronal plane, coronal planes. The plane may be in ...
cleft with slightly raised margins. Nearby are the openings of the Skene's ducts. The vaginal orifice is a median slit below and behind the opening of the urethra; its size varies inversely with that of the hymen. To the left and right of the vulval vestibule are the labia minora. Anterior to it are the clitoral hood, frenulum clitoridis, and the clitoral glans. Posterior to it is the posterior commissure of the labia minora and the
frenulum of labia minora The frenulum of labia minora (fourchette or posterior commissure of the labia minora) is a frenulum where the labia minora meet posterior (anatomy), posteriorly. Pathology The fourchette may be torn during Childbirth, delivery due to the sudden ...
. The sides of the vestibule are visible as Hart's line on the inside of the inner lips; Hart's line is the outer edge of the area and marks the change from vulvar skin to the smoother transitional skin of the vulva.


Other animals

Except for
great ape The Hominidae (), whose members are known as the great apes or hominids (), are a taxonomic family of primates that includes eight extant species in four genera: '' Pongo'' (the Bornean, Sumatran and Tapanuli orangutan); '' Gorilla'' (the ...
s (including humans) and some
rodent Rodents (from Latin , 'to gnaw') are mammals of the Order (biology), order Rodentia ( ), which are characterized by a single pair of continuously growing incisors in each of the upper and Mandible, lower jaws. About 40% of all mammal specie ...
s, the vestibule in most female placentals (
urogenital sinus The urogenital sinus is a body part of a human or other Placentalia, placental only present in the development of the urinary system, development of the urinary and development of the reproductive organs, reproductive organs. It is the ventral p ...
) is a tubular and internal structure.


Clinical significance

The prevalence of pain at the vulvar vestibule is relatively common. A study by the
University of Michigan The University of Michigan (U-M, U of M, or Michigan) is a public university, public research university in Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States. Founded in 1817, it is the oldest institution of higher education in the state. The University of Mi ...
found that about 28% of women have experienced vulvar vestibular pain in the past, and about 8% had the pain in the last six months.


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Vulval Vestibule Vulva